By Edward Chaykovsky
Last year, British star Amir Khan (30-3, 19KOs) was adamant that he signed a contract to face WBC/WBA welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 3rd of this year. Khan was advised to withdraw from a planned fight with then IBF welterweight champion Devon Alexander. He took the advise, but then he was unexpectedly passed over when Mayweather selected Marcos Maidana.
Khan says the sum of money he agreed to was so low that he wouldn't even reveal the amount to his hometown paper - which is why Khan strongly believes Mayweather is reluctant to take the fight.
Now Khan is targeting Mayweather for May of next year. The Bolton boxer finally stepped in the ring with Alexander on December 13th. He dominated the former two-division world champion over twelve rounds.
“The deal I agreed [to] and signed for the first fight a year ago you would not have believed. It wasn’t big money for me but that proves I just want to take him on. I basically was giving him a sort of free fight and he still didn’t take it," Khan told Bolton News.
“Mayweather is the one I want. I really think I have the skills to beat him. I have the quickest hands in boxing. Alexander is very fast and I outboxed him. He has never been outboxed like that before. When I need to turn my A-game on I do it. As I get older I am so focused on what I need to do. Against Mayweather I would be so focused. This is the biggest fight ever. As soon as it’s done I will be straight in the gym. It has to happen in the next year I think.”